Spiritual Evolution of Society 155 



must progressively increase. Benjamin Kidd, in a 

 most illuminating chapter in his book " Western 

 Civilisation," points out that Nietzsche's philosophy is 

 founded entirely on what he calls " the ascendancy of 

 the present in the economic process," and in this re- 

 spect the two phases of modern thought, represented 

 by Marx on the one hand and Nietzsche on the other, 

 appear as complementary. The principles of Marx 

 represent, as it were, only the extreme socialistic ex- 

 pression of the views of which Nietzsche may be said to 

 represent the extreme individualistic interpretation. 

 For in each case the principle which is held before us 

 is the same, viz. the ascendancy of the present in the 

 social process in history. In modern Germany Nietz- 

 sche, equally with the Sozial Demokrat and Arsene 

 Dumont, anticipates the day when " I'hypothese Dieu " 

 shall be expelled from human affairs. " The great Euro- 

 pean narcotic of Christianity " is associated with the 

 existing order of things. Only too true, asserts 

 Nietzsche in effect. It has enabled the serf population 

 in our midst to invent a " slave " morality, to enlist 

 sympathy to obtain votes, to slowly gain predominance 

 over their destined superiors. What is this ideal of 

 sympathy and brotherly love ? Mere contemptible 

 consideration for the inferior ; mere lack of self-con- 

 sideration in the natural superior. What is democ- 

 racy ? A declining type of the state in which the 

 natural superior is enslaved with sympathies so that he 

 may be kept out of his own. " The best things belong 

 to me and mine, and if men give us nothing, then we 

 take them — the best food, the purest sky, the strongest 

 thoughts, the fairest women." " A new table, O my 

 brethren, I put before you : become hard." 



All these ideas proceed from the materialistic con- 

 ception of history — the ascendancy of the present in 

 the ruling process. Mr. Kidd's argument in regard to 



